trailer Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1994 Owner's Manuals

W?unning.bur Engine’ While
bu’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine
running.
But if you ever have to, here
are some things to lmow.
Follow the proper steps to be sure
your
vehicle won’t move. See Shifting Into P
(Park) in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re
pulling a trailer, also. see
Towing a
Trailer in the Index.

Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads
and
in varying weather conditions .
We’ve also . included many other
useful tips on driving
.
Part 4
Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving ........................................................................\
............................ 126
Drunken Driving
........................................................................\
............................ 126
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
........................................................................\
......................................... 128
Anti-Lock Brakes
........................................................................\
......................... 129
Steering Tips
........................................................................\
................................ 130
Steering in Emergencies
........................................................................\
.............. 131
Passing ........................................................................\
......................................... 132
Driving
at Night ........................................................................\
............................... 134
Driving in the Rain ........................................................................\
.......................... 135
City Driving 137
Freeway Driving ........................................................................\
............................. 137
Hill and Mountain Roads
........................................................................\
............... 139
Winter Driving
........................................................................\
................................ 140
Towing a Trailer
........................................................................\
............................... 143
.. ........................................................................\
......................................
125

Towing a Trailer

Your Driving and the Road
146
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road if it becomes
separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by
the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains
to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes,
don’t try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system at all.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well or
at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to laow your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel
of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand
to the right. Always
back up slowly and,
if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.

Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change
lanes or stop.
When towing
a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your
signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well. On
a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 ltm/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have
an automatic transaxle with Overdrive,
you may want to drive in
3 instead of D
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place choclts under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel choclts are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
choclts absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
147

Mainfenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service :nore
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the
Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each of
these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.

1
Service & Appearance Care
186
(-18°C) or above. These numbers on an
oil container show its viscosity, or
thickness. Do not use other viscosity
oils,
such as SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50.
If you cannot find oils with the new
“starburst” symbol on the front of the
container, you should look for and use
oils containing the following three things:
SH or SG
“SH” or “SG” must be on the oil
container, either by itself or combined
with other quality designations, such
as “SH/CD,” “SH,SG,CD,”“SG/CD,”
etc. These letters show American
Petroleum Institute (API) levels of
quality.
SAE 5W-30
Energy Conserving I1
Oils with these words on the container
will help you save fuel.
These three things are usually included in
a doughnut shaped logo (symbol) on
most containers. If you cannot find
oils
with the “starburst” symbol, you should
look for oils with the doughnut shaped
symbol, containing the three things
noted above.
NOTICE:
If you use oils that do not have
either the “starburst” symbol or an
API
SH or SG designation, you can
cause engine damage not covered
by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench* oil (in Canada, GM
Engine Oil) meets all the requirements
for your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your
Oldsmobile dealer is ready to advise if
you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
Most trips are less than 4 miles
(6 km)
.
It’s below freezing outside and most
trips are less than 10 miles (16 ltm).
The engine is at low speed most of the
time (as in door-to-door delivery, or in
stop-and-go traffic).
You tow a trailer often.
Most trips are through dusty places.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your
oil and filter every 3,000 miles (5 000
km) or 3 months - whichever comes
-first.
If none of them is true, change the oil
every
7,500 miles (12 500 lm) or 12
months -whichever comes first.
Change the filter at the first
oil change
and at every other oil change after that.
Engine Coolant Heater (Engine
Block Heater) (omoN)
An engine coolant heater can be a big
help if you have to
park outside in very

Service & Appearance Care
2. Remove the air cleaner filter.
3. Be sure to install the air cleaner filter
and replace the cover tightly.
Automatic Transaxk Fluid
When fo Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic
transaxle fluid level is when the engine
oil is changed. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule to determine when to change
your fluid. See
Scheduled Maintenance
Services
in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have this
done at an Oldsmobile dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow
all the instructions here, or
you could
get
a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too.little fluid can
damage your transaxle.
Too much
can mean that some of the fluid
could come out and fall
on hot
engine parts
or exhaust system,
starting a
fire. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least
30 minutes before
checking the transaxle fluid level
if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic - especially in hot
90°F (32°C).
weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid
should be at
normal operating
temperature, which is 18O"F-to
2OOpF
(82°C to 93T).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about
15 miles (24 lun) 'when outside
temperatures are above
50°F (10°C). If

inspections that your Oldsmobile
dealer’s service department or another
qualified service center should perform.
“Section D: Recommended Fluids
&
Lubricants” lists some products GM
recommends to help keep your vehicle
properly maintained. These products, or
their equivalents, should be used
whether you do the work yourself or
have it done.
“Section
E: Maintenance Record”
provides a place for you to record the
maintenance performed on your vehicle.
Whenever any maintenance is
performed, be sure to write it down in
this section. This will.help you
determine when your next maintenance
should be done. In addition, it
is a good
idea to keep your maintenance receipts.
They may be needed to qual@ your
vehicle for warranty repairs.
Section A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services
Using Your Maintenance
Schedule
This section tells you the maintenance
services you should have done and when
you should schedule them. Your
Oldsmobile dealer knows your vehicle
best and wants you to be happy with it.
If you go to your dealer for your service
needs, you’ll how that GM-trained and
supported service people will perform
the work using genuine GM parts.
These schedules are for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within
recommended limits. You will find
these limits on your vehicle’s Tire-
Loading Information label. See
Loading Your Vehicle in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving limits.
use the recommended unleaded fuel.
See
Fuel in the .Index.
Selecting fhe Right Schedule
First you’ll need to decide which of the
two schedules is right for your vehicle.
Here’s how
to decide which schedule to
follow:
Schedule I
Is any one of these true for your
vehicle?
Most trips are less than 4 miles (6 lm).
Most trips are less than 10 miles (16
lun) when outside temperatures are
below freezing.
The engine is at low speed most of the
time (as in door-to-door delivery, or in
stop-and-go traffic).
You operate your vehicle in dusty
areas.
You tow a trailer. (With some models,
you should never tow a trailer. See
Towing a Trailer in the Index.)
If any one (or more) of these is true for
your driving, follow Schedule
I.
Schedule I1
Follow Schedule I1 only if none of’the
above conditions is true.
L
237

Maintenance Schedule
238
Schedule l
Follow Schedule I if your vehicle is
MAINLY driven under one or more of
the following conditions:
When most trips are less than 4 miles
When most trips are less than 10
(6 lun) .
miles (16 ltm) and outside
temperatures remain below freezing.
When most trips include extended
idling and/or frequent low-speed
operation, as in stop-and-go traffic.
When towing a trailer. (With some
models, you should never tow a
trailer. See
Towing a Trailer in the
Index.)
When operating in dusty areas.
Schedule I should also be followed if
the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police,
taxi or other commercial
applications.
ITEM TO BE SERVICED
Nom See Explanation of Scheduled Maintenance
Services
following Schedules I and 11.
WHEN TO PERFORM
Miles (kilometers) or Months
(whichever occurs first).
I 2 I Chassis Lubrication I Every other oil change. I
I 4 I Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection* I Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 lun) or 24 Months. I
I 6 I Cooling System Service" I Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 lun) or 24 Months. I
I
8 I Spark Plug Replacement* I Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km). I
I 12 I Fuel Tanlc, Cap and Lines Inspection*+ I Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 lun).
~
I
I